Who knew that there was an outbreak of vampirism along the Jersey City waterfront? The un-dead in this case isn't a creature with fangs and a cape living in a foreboding castle, but rather an idea that just won't die in at least some State offices in Trenton: that Liberty State Park -- one of the greatest public resources created anywhere in the latter half of the 20th century -- should be commercialized, privatized or otherwise used in order to make money.

It is instructive to remember that LSP was created not as a result of think tanks or white papers nor private investment, but because of the vision and perseverance of civic activists who looked at rotting, abandoned railyards in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and envisioned parkland that would be a free oasis in a crowded, urban area, open to all as a living, green tribute to the spirit of freedom that's been nurtured and maintained by all who emigrated to America and the generations that have followed.

And when the first part of the park opened in 1976, it brought an extraordinary sense of reclamation to the people of Jersey City and all of New Jersey who were given back a place to enjoy their Hudson River shoreline, which had been totally cut off for the better part of a century by railroads and other industrial uses.

In the four decades since, LSP has more than lived up to its founding vision, becoming an integral part of our community and region that contributes a tremendous boost to our quality of life and even self-image. But almost from the very beginning, and at regular intervals since, some politicians and bureaucrats in Trenton have eyed the parkland put aside for the people who flock there to enjoy its passive beauty and simple openness, and thought "How can money be made from that?" And so there's been a barrage of proposals floated one after the other over the years to give huge swaths of LSP away to build a theme park, amphitheater, golf course, or the like.

The most recent -- until last week -- round of this un-dead idea happened two years ago when the Christie administration complained that the park, which was created to serve the people of our state by being free and green space, wasn't paying for itself. So the administration wanted to privatize much of the northern end of the park with boutique hotels, stores and even housing -- the kind of un-green, un-free urban sprawl and commercialization many people go to LSP to escape.

That version of the un-dead idea, like most of the previous ones, was stopped by the tenacious efforts of the Friends of Liberty State Park -- the nonprofit civic group that is the lineal descendant of the community activists who first pushed for the park to be created.

As they've had to do time and again, the Friends took their case for the park to the people of New Jersey -- pointing out that parks are not supposed to make money. Since the 19th century, it's been understood that providing open space to urban dwellers is necessary for health and well-being, and is therefore something we pay taxes to support. Since New Jerseyans pay a lot in taxes, the Friends note, affording Liberty State Park as it is today, green and free, should not be a problem. After the Friends galvanized public sentiment, the Christie administration backed down.

But now, just like Dracula in the movies, the un-dead idea to privatize LSP is back yet again. In its waning days, the Christie Administration purportedly wants to give a big chunk of the southern end of the park to the operator of a private marina. The rationale seems to be that the state would "save" the cost of repairing a damaged bulkhead in the northern end of the park because the operator would do it. But in exchange, the operator would get to occupy and use a large area with incompatible views of the Statue of Liberty in the southern end of the park for little or no cost for an extended period. And so, the Friends of Liberty State Park have begun yet again fight to stop the un-dead idea to privatize LSP. Among the facts they are pointing out is that there already is a marina in LSP, so giving more public land in the same park to such a singular, private use would be excessive.

But there may be an even bigger issue here: respect, or lack of it, by some parts of state government for the accomplishments and ongoing value of civic activism in general, and of the Friends in particular. From its Revolutionary cradle, America has always asked its citizens to be activists and to selflessly work to benefit their communities. The Friends of Liberty State Park have done exactly that, and the great result of their vision and hard work has been embraced and enjoyed by millions of their fellow citizens. So why then, do some parts of New Jersey's government seem to periodically make war on the Friends and, by extension, all New Jerseyans who benefit from the Friends' vision?

This begs the question of how much more the Friends could do to benefit us all if they did not have to spend so much of their time and energy fighting the same battle over and over and over again.

Perhaps the best long-term way to deal with the un-dead idea for LSP is to permanently address what amounts to an unconscionable and un-American waste of the Friends' selfless civic dedication and record of accomplishment.

But for now, the Friends want people to focus on the immediate issue. They are asking everyone who enjoys Liberty State Park to write to the DEP Commissioner - who will have the final say -- and to their state legislators - who could move to block the Commissioner's power. The Friends hope people will explain their belief that the Park should not be privatized, and that they demand multiple public hearings on the current proposal. And the Friends would like people to point out that such a long-term, far-reaching decision about LSP should not be made by a lame duck Administration with only weeks left in office.

Finally, the Friends are inviting everyone to come to a photo protest in support of their vision of LSP as a free and green space. It will be held on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Park at 200 Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City. There's a Facebook event page for the protest. And go to the Friends of Liberty State Park website for a lot more info about this situation.